Calibre release and version number

[Katsunami]

Hi

Is something changing regarding Calibre's release schedule? The latest update is about three weeks ago (I know Kovid has been away for some time), and the version number now displays 2.20.0.

Have I missed something, somewhere?

Thanks

[eschwartz]

Well, Kovid was on vacation, and now he's been working on a native Open With implementation -- so he wasn't going to release calibre with that half-baked. But it is done now, so I predict you can expect a release at the usual time this week.

You wouldn't hear anything, I just extrapolated from the commit log.

Remember you heard it here first.

[Katsunami]

Thanks And the version number being 2.20.0? It might have been there in that format for a longer time, but I just noticed it.

I could imagine the release schedule of Calibre to taper off at some point, focusing on bugfixes (2.20.1, 2.20.2, etc...) for some time. I think most imaginable functionality (and more too) is available now

[eschwartz]

calibre versions as we think of them are major.minor, but really they were released as 0.something major versions until 1.0, then they got numbered major.minor.patch -- with nary a patchrelease in sight.

Lots of current releases are bugfixes, the release numbers indicate weekly snapshots (advancing a major number is when you can say "important stuff just happened"). Kovid did say he was at some point going to use patchreleases for occasions when a rerelease for critical bugs needs to be done.

Yeah -- the format has been there for a while. See: https://github.com/kovidgoyal/calibre/tags for a handy listing.

[BetterRed]

I'd like to put in plug for using the 3rd digit for quickfix releases (like the one that was uploaded for 2.20) - so that one gets a notice they exist. Info could be added to existing release notes, or to a sticky here - QuickFix Releases.

As well as the Open With feature, Kovid has also been working on a DOCX Output PI.

@Kovid I use the Open With PI for 4 things, predictably each has a keyboard shortcut -- nudge, nudge... will the built in Open With have entries in the Preferences->Keyboard list

BR

[eschwartz]

Kovid does not want tons of people thinking they need every update and downloading patchreleases -- says if they need it they will find out when they say something here and are told to redownload.
Currently calibre will not popup a notification if there is a patchrelease, so the infrastructure is there to accomplish this.
The other concern is linux distro packagers get the most use out of it -- but they aren't officially supported anyway.

Does he feel it is worth it to integrate that into his release automation. I hope so.


The DOCX plugin will also appear, but that at least is turned off until it's ready, running from source on Windows I got some errors looking at the Open With option when it wasn't properly impemented yet.

[PeterT]

But I hate to say that bug with saving of preferences affected many people, and being able to say that the fix was in 2.20.1 would have been a great deal easier than redownload and install 2.20.0

[eschwartz]

I agree that it has more use than just distro tracking. Even if there aren't popup notifications it still makes the status of things a lot clearer.

Plus there is my autoupgrade script, which can only update calibre when passing a version check.

[BetterRed]

Originally Posted by PeterT

But I hate to say that bug with saving of preferences affected many people, and being able to say that the fix was in 2.20.1 would have been a great deal easier than redownload and install 2.20.0

IIRC - there was a similar one a few months ago.

Maybe all versions could be user tested before they're released, maybe by sending unpublished download links to a select few via a mailing list - give them the weekend to find any glitches and release on Mondays. (Idea derived from chaley's testing regime for CC).

BTW - I take a tiny bit of load off Kovid's servers - I download the windows and os/x installs to an ftp server, about 20 people I've introduced to calibre download from there. Most download every week; I can tell because they have to login to the server.

Re notification - a Quickfix Releases thread here could partially overcome the issues raised. Interested parties could subscribe to it. People with problems could take a look at it and MR Responders could refer to it. I think there's a way to get a thread to stick at the top of a forum's main list, that would be better than a sticky, I for one tend not to see emboldened sticky threads, see the first thread at the top of ==>> Kindle Formats.

BR

[kovidgoyal]

There will be a release today. Generally speaking, I make a calibre release, whenever I feel enough bugfixes/new features have accumulated. So far that has almost always been every week, but sometimes it takes longer. Like this last month, because of my traveling.

As for using the last number for emergency patches, I quite agree it is a good idea, and I have most of the code in place for it already, as eschwartz pointed out. I just have to climb the last hurdle (testing the release automation). Unfortunately, hotfix releases, are usually best released quickly so I never feel justified working on the release automation when a need for them arises. I just have to be disciplined and do it sometime

@BR: Yes, builtin Open With supports keyboard shortcuts.

[BetterRed]

Originally Posted by kovidgoyal

@BR: Yes, builtin Open With supports keyboard shortcuts.

Bless you - thanks

Travelling - euphemism for watching World Cup, perhaps

BR

[kovidgoyal]

Nah, my interest in cricket died over a decade ago, with all the corruption scandals. I really cant bring myself to look at it as a sport anymore, just pure (not very good) entertainment.